The Ford Foundation is hiring an Associate Director, Responsible AI Solutions in New York, with a salary of $181,000–$202,000 and an October 9, 2026 deadline.
The Ford Foundation is hiring an Associate Director, Responsible AI Solutions to lead the development and implementation of ethical AI solutions across its Information Technology team.
The permanent, full-time position is based in New York, USA, with a hybrid working model requiring staff to be in the office three days per week. The application deadline is October 9, 2026.
Opportunity Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | Ford Foundation |
| Position | Associate Director, Responsible AI Solutions |
| Location | New York, USA |
| Work arrangement | Hybrid |
| Contract | Permanent |
| Employment type | Full time |
| Salary | $181,000–$202,000 |
| Experience | 8+ years |
| Education | Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning or related field |
| Deadline | October 9, 2026 |
About the Role
The Associate Director will report to the Chief Information and Technology Officer (CITO) and help develop and implement the foundation’s evolving AI strategy.
The role focuses on building AI solutions while incorporating governance, ethical considerations, data privacy, safety, fairness and transparency. The position will also involve working with senior leaders, IT teams, vendors and consultants.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will contribute to several areas, including:
- Managing the foundation’s AI portfolio.
- Identifying business challenges that can be addressed through AI.
- Designing and deploying AI solutions.
- Supporting the foundation’s AI strategy.
- Developing Responsible AI guidelines and safety policies.
- Monitoring AI regulations and data privacy requirements.
- Evaluating and optimizing AI models.
- Assessing AI vendors and emerging technologies.
- Supporting organization-wide AI literacy and responsible prompt engineering.
- Communicating technical AI concepts to senior and non-technical stakeholders.
Qualifications and Experience
Candidates should have 8+ years of related professional experience and a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
The position requires experience with technologies and concepts including:
- Python.
- TensorFlow and PyTorch.
- Machine learning and deep learning.
- Natural language processing.
- Foundational models and Generative AI.
- LLMs, LangChain and RAG.
- Agentic architecture and Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Google Cloud Platform and Vertex AI.
- Major cloud platforms including AWS, Azure and GCP.
- SQL, Hadoop and Spark.
- AI Ops, CI/CD, containerization and automated testing.
- Cloud-based AI model deployment and optimization.
- Large datasets, knowledge graphs and information retrieval.
Candidates should also understand AI bias, data privacy, model safety and responsible AI, while having strong project management and communication skills. Experience managing AI vendors and evaluating claims around model safety, data retention and training-data provenance is also required.
Salary and Benefits
The Ford Foundation lists a salary range of $181,000 to $202,000 for the position. The final offer depends on relevant experience and internal equity.
The foundation also lists benefits including:
- Medical, dental and vision coverage from the first day.
- Professional development opportunities.
- Flexible work arrangements.
- Generous paid time off.
- Parental leave and family-care resources.
- Retirement benefits with employee and employer contributions of up to 13%.
Work Location
The position is based at the Ford Foundation’s New York office. The foundation operates a hybrid model requiring employees to work from the office three days per week.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is Friday, October 9, 2026.
Applicants must submit both a resume and a cover letter to be considered.
How to Apply
Applicants should use the official Ford Foundation careers application system and submit the required resume and cover letter.
Opportunities Feed Assessment
This is a senior AI leadership opportunity combining Generative AI, machine learning, cloud platforms, AI governance, responsible AI and technology strategy.
The position is particularly focused on applying AI to organizational challenges while establishing governance, safety, privacy and ethical standards across the foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Ford Foundation AI position based?
The position is based in New York, USA, under a hybrid working model.
What is the salary?
The listed salary range is $181,000 to $202,000.
Is this a permanent position?
Yes. The vacancy states that it is a permanent, full-time position.
How much experience is required?
Candidates need 8+ years of related professional experience.
What degree is required?
A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning or a related field is required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
What AI technologies are relevant to the role?
The vacancy mentions Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, machine learning, deep learning, NLP, LLMs, LangChain, RAG, Agentic architecture, MCP, GCP, Vertex AI and other cloud and data technologies.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is October 9, 2026.
What documents must applicants submit?
The vacancy specifically requires a resume and cover letter.
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